ALBANY — A top leader of the national Democratic party warned a group of breakaway Democratic state senators to break its leadership alliance with the Republicans or face primary battled.

"I do believe you can get more flies with honey than vinegar, but after you give enough honey to the fly, sometimes you've got to plug the fly swatter in," said Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, who is also the Democratic National Committee deputy chairman.

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"I say come home. You're welcome. But if you won't come, you're going to have to be primaried."

Ellison made his comments about the Independent Democratic Conference, or IDC, while headlining a New York City fund-raiser for the mainline Senate Democrats on Friday night.

The Daily News obtained audio of his comments.

Ellison said he believes members of the IDC were motivated originally when they ran for Senate "by the noblest of ideals of public service."

"But somewhere along the way, you know, it kind of became about power and titles and money," he said.

Currently there are 32 Democrats in the 63-seat Senate, enough for a majority. But the Republicans control the chamber because of an alliance with the eight-member IDC and the fact that a ninth Democrat, Brooklyn Sen. Simcha Felder, caucuses with the GOP.

"The IDC has to resolve," Ellison said. "The IDC has to shut it down. The IDC has to stop. The IDC has to get back on the team or they can't be a par tot the team."

Ellison said the issue is a national one in the face of President Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress. He said "the issue of the IDC is a danger to the nation."

"Everything that you as a Democrat believe in is on the line right now," he said, mentioning health care, the environment and worker's rights.

"We cannot afford disunity at this point. We cannot afford to break ranks. And we sure as hell cannot afford this circular firing squad in the face of what I believe is an enemy force. We have got to hang together."

IDC spokeswoman Candice Giove ripped Ellison's threats of primaries and hinted that some mainline Dems could face challenges as well.

"For a national Democrat who is the deputy chair of the DNC who must share the blame for Democrats losing to Donald Trump to show up in New York and call for Democrats to engage in primaries shows there is something fundamentally wrong with this picture," Giove said.

She called on Ellison to ask where all New York Senate Dems stand on issues like strengthening the state's abortion laws, single-payer health care, and the creation of a state DREAM Act that authorizes the state financial assistance program to help fund the college kids of undocumented immigrants.

Those close to the IDC have argued that even if the the Democrats had control of the chamber, they don't have the votes to pass a number of progressive issues they have been touting.

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"His audacity in calling for primaries in New York State must mean that he understands that primaries are not limited to members of the IDC," Giove said. "If Mr. Ellison handles other parts of the country the way he handles New York, it will be a long time before Democrats regain control."

An IDC source said Ellison several weeks back cancelled a schedule call with IDC Leader Jeffrey Klein after the congressman drew some heat after posting a picture praising one of Klein's members.

"So much for unity," the IDC source said.

Ellison is the latest national Dem to wade into the New York intra-party squabble. A day after appearing with Gov. Cuomo in announcing that half a dozen House Republicans from New York will be targeted in 2018, House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi released a statement calling on the state Senate Dems to reunify.